84 THE BOOK OF PEARS AND PLUMS 



b. YELLOW-FRUITED (i.e. White Heart or Bigarreau). 

 (l) Elton, very early, good on heavy soil, tree spread- 

 ing ; (2) Kent Bigarreau, early, large, hardy, makes a 

 large tree, best for general crop. 



c. BLACK-FRUITED. (l) Black Eagle, very large, 

 travels well, free grower, mid-season ; (2) Early Rivers, 

 first-rate, earliest black, a good cropper and grower. 



COOKING CHERRIES. (l) Kentish, bright red, mid- 

 season, a compact grower, best for jam ; (2) Morello, 

 very late, only fit for wall, fence, or bush. 



Other good sorts are Governor Wood (mottled red, 

 early) and Black Tartarian, a strong grower, fruit large, 

 late. Florence is very large and late, succeeding the 

 Bigarreau, but requires a warm soil and aspect. 



Where there is no wall, Morellos and other sorts 

 should be planted as bushes in a garden 5 or 6 feet 

 apart. They should be covered with nets when the 

 fruit is colouring. Morellos last a long while on a 

 north wall, protected by a net. These are often in 

 great demand, and in a plantation succeed as standards. 

 But the cost of " keeping " for a long time would be 

 excessive. 



PRUNING AND TRAINING 



Allow the trees to grow a year before pruning 

 them. Then cut back the branches to about I foot 

 in length to an outer eye ; the Bigarreau to 15 

 inches. Encourage two shoots from each branch, 

 one at the end, the other 3 inches from the stem, 

 and on the outside. Thus the branches will not 

 grow into each other. Maintain the chief branches 

 at nearly equal length for some years. Standards 

 do not require much pruning. Cut back in summer 

 (July) all shoots crowding the tree or threaten- 

 ing to cross others. In winter look over the trees 



